


ice creams in the afternoon

by kosmokuns



Category: Alex Rider (TV 2020), Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, a hint of angst, a little bit of an insight into how ian's job affects his parenting, four year old alex wants ice cream, hes not having a great time, ian is still going through john's death, im running out of tags, thats it so yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24846850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kosmokuns/pseuds/kosmokuns
Summary: Ian takes four-year-old Alex for ice cream in the afternoon.Written for all the fathers out there who took on the role after tragedy, you guys rock, keep doing your best.
Relationships: Alex Rider & Ian Rider
Comments: 4
Kudos: 64





	ice creams in the afternoon

The Riders own a holiday home in Cornwall. John always used to joke about how stereotypical it was that their upper-middle class family owned a holiday home in Cornwall but he had that twinkle in his eye that Ian knew meant he was secretly delighted about it. Ian comes close to selling it after John passes. He can feel his spirit seeped into the azure fabric of the chairs and the white wood of the floor, and he can see his face flicking back to smile at him as a child to beckon him down the path and onto the beach, surf board under one arm and goggles around his head. Ian even scatters his ashes in the waves there, letting his soul be carried out to sea by the same current that brought him back after a day sailing. Eventually, he makes the decision to keep it, although when Alex’s face crinkles into wonder at crabs and fish and chips on the beach, he almost regrets it. The pain is too deep to dwell on how alike John and his son look.

Every year they travel down to Cornwall to spend Ian’s two weeks of holiday from his ‘bank’, and Alex never questions why his classmates’ parents get six weeks holiday and Ian only ever gets two. He figures it’s just another one of Ian’s quirks. Like, reading on the beach instead of swimming in the sea, which four-year-old Alex can’t understand one bit.

“Ian,” Alex says loudly, standing over him as he lays on the sand reading his book. Ian flips over the page, pretending to not hear him, and continues to read. Alex huffs, “Ian,” He tries again. Ian still doesn’t acknowledge his presence. “Ian!” Alex yells and crosses his arms, shaking his hair out. The salty droplets land on Ian’s toned stomach, and they have to be cold enough to make him flinch, but he doesn’t. He stays deathly still, eyes flicking across the page of his book. Determined to be heard, Alex attempts to get his attention another time. “Ian!” He screams, rising up onto the balls of his feet and curling his hands into fists at the effort to be loud enough.

Families on the beach around them are starting to look, doing the glances parents do when they see a child who might be in trouble. Just a casual noting of what’s going on in case they need to intervene. They needn’t worry, Ian is most qualified out of all of them to protect his nephew and he knows it, just like he knows his reflexes could kill that child if he comes into his room in the night or touches him from behind when Ian’s mind is somewhere else. Somewhere far away. However, he refuses to give into Alex’s shouting and turns the page, it’s the last one of the chapter, and reads it quickly, then shuts his book.

“Alex don’t raise your voice at me,” He says sternly, raising an eyebrow. Alex looks down to the floor and bites his lip, guilty.

“Yes, Ian,” He whispers, and his eyes snap up with a little smirk on his face and quickly back to the sand. Inwardly, Ian laughs, it’s so cheeky, so _Alex._ He can’t wait to see him grow up. Ian lets it slide.

“Well, what is that you want?” Ian asks, amused. Alex’s face brightens,

“Can we get an ice cream?” He rocks forward with glee and a huge smile and Ian ruffles his hair,

“Let’s just towel you off a bit and then we can, okay?” He replies and Alex jumps into the air with joy. Ian laughs and pulls a towel out of their beach bag and jumps up onto his knees. As he rubs ALex dry, he makes a noise that makes him giggle and harmlessly swat at his arms,

“Ian, Ian, stop it,” He squeals as he goes for Alex’s hair, scrubbing and squeezing the water out of it. He drops the towel onto Alex’s head and then stands up straight,

“Where’s Alex gone?” He puts his hands on his hips and twists in a circle, “I can’t see him.”

Alex waits until he’s turned 180 degrees around with his back to him and then jumps out from under the towel and clings on to Ian’s legs,

“I’m here, silly, I’m here!” He shouts and even with Alex’s weight on his calves Ian can still stay balanced. He bends over to look at Alex upside down,

“Why are you upside down, silly?” He says, Alex’s face abruptly turns very serious,

“Ian, you’re upside down,” He explains gravely. He looks so much like John that Ian’s breath catches in his throat. His exterior almost cracks.

“Am I?” Ian’s brow fuzzles, he doesn’t move for a millisecond, then grabs Alex from between his legs and swings him upward into the air. Alex shrieks in delight as Ian spins him in circles, his gap-toothed smile showing as he’s thrown around. After a few minutes Ian gently lowers him to the floor.

One part of his job that Ian’s grown to like is the strength that comes with holding machine guns or the gracefulness that comes from sneaking around in the dark, both mean that he can play with Alex in ways he couldn’t if he wasn’t an agent. “Ready for ice cream now?” He says and Alex nods,

“I’m the most readiest in the world, Ian,”

“Right then, off we go,” He holds onto Alex’s tiny hand and smiles at a woman sitting next to them who was observing what they were doing. She’s got no ring, no sight of a partner, and two young girls building sandcastles next to their picnic blanket who look bit older than Alex. She’s pretty, brown skin with warm red undertones and thick, muscular legs. In another life, Ian reminds himself. He’s got Alex to look after anyway.

They make it to the ice cream parlour after a five-minute walk and Alex informs the teenager behind the counter he needs time to decide what to get. They have the decency to play along and nod back in a very understanding way. Ian orders first,

“Can I get a vanilla ice cream for me, please,” He says and the teenager nods and scoops some into a cup for him. Alex turns to face him with a look of disgust,

“ _Vanilla?_ ” He says incredulously, “Ian, that’s so boring.” The teenager stifles a laugh and Ian looks down at Alex,

“It’s a classic, _mon lutin_ ,” Ian replies,

“That doesn’t mean it’s good,” Alex rolls his eyes and turns back to the server. “Can I please get one scoop of coconut ice cream in a cone,” He gives his request and the teenager puts the cone into a stand and reels off the price to Ian. He taps his credit card on the card reader and it authorises, then he takes the cone and holds it above Alex,

“What do you say?” He asks and Alex tangles his hands behind his back and looks up to Ian with his huge blue eyes,

“Thank you, Ian,” He says,

“Good lad,” Ian hands the cone to him and he starts furiously licking it immediately. Ian laughs and puts a hand on the back of his head and guides him out of the shop.

**Author's Note:**

> mon lutin means my elf which is perfect for alex. thank you to the lgbts for vicky mcclure in a suit gc for this idea, vanilla ice cream is shit <3 the new alex rider tv show goes so hard and i need another season rn or else,
> 
> g x


End file.
